Maksut Askar, Neolokal, Istanbul, Turkey

All in the Industry

In this episode, host Sherry Bayer travels to Istanbul to interview renowned chef Maksut Aşkar about his mission to modernize Anatolian cui

Key takeaways

• Maksut Aşkar uses the concept 'Neolocal' to represent 'New Takes on Local Cuisine,' updating traditions for modern generations.
• The Neolokal restaurant is situated within the SALT Galata cultural institution in Istanbul.
• Aşkar emphasizes a commitment to sustainability by working with local female farmers from the Çatalca district.
• Neolokal offers a specialized allergy-free tasting menu that excludes gluten, lactose, and nuts.
• Chef Willem Hele's restaurant in Belgium focuses on the rhythms of the sea and seasonal North Sea produce.

Main topics

• Modern Anatolian cuisine
• Sustainable restaurant practices
• Istanbul culinary scene

Notable quotes

Neolocal means New Takes on Local Cuisine.

Conclusion

The episode provides deep insight into how chefs use local identity an

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) You're listening to All in the Industry, an independent podcast dedicated to behind-the-scenes talent in the hospitality industry, hosted and produced by me, Sherry Bayer. Since initially launching in 2014, we have broadcast more than 400 episodes, and now we're excited to be on our new platform. To learn more, visit allintheindustry.com. Millions already used Built to earn rewards. Now it's transforming restaurants. Learn more at BuiltDining.com backslash Sherry. Speaker 1 (0:53) Well, hello. Welcome to All in the Industry. I'm your host and producer, Sherry Bayer, and this is our 445th episode of this series, which is dedicated to behind-the-scenes talent in the hospitality industry. Today, I have a special show, which I recorded in Istanbul, Turkey, with a wonderful chef and restaurateur, and I will introduce him fully in a moment. But first, I will start out with my PR tip. And then we'll have my guest conversation, which includes a speed round. And I'll close out with my solo dining experience. As the founder of Bayer Public Relations, I'm going to tip off the show with my PR tip of the week. So today's tip is to not do anything you're not comfortable doing. Yes, sometimes we're put in situations that ask us to do an activity or task that we may not actually feel good doing ourselves for whatever reason, whether it's personal or professional. And in these cases, it's important for us to listen to our truth. And if that means saying no, even though it may disappoint someone else, it's okay, as we must practice self-love and care first. So let's remember to listen to our guts and follow what feels right to us always, as that's what's most important in life. That's my tip today. Okay, so I'm excited about today's show, which, as I mentioned, is from Istanbul, Turkey, where I was on a recent trip, and it was my first time visiting, and I had an absolutely wonderful time. And my guest today was my host, and it is Maksut Askar, a Turkish chef and restaurateur with several restaurant concepts, including Neo Local, a one Michelin star and Speaker 2 (2:40) green star restaurant, Speaker 1 (2:42) which has earned three knives from the Best Chef Awards and is located within the cultural institution Salt Galata in Istanbul. At Neolocal, Maksut is known for modernizing Anatolian cuisine through sustainable practices, creative interpretation, and deep respect for Turkey's rich culinary heritage. In addition, Maksut's other restaurant concepts and partnerships in Istanbul include Foxy, a bistro focused on local and natural wines, Todos los Dias, an all-day bistro, which is located right next door to Contour, where we actually sat and had our conversation, as well as O, Anatolian Cafe by Maxut Askar at the Phoenix Art Museum in Rotterdam, Netherlands. I love sitting down with Maxut towards the end of my trip to talk about his career and restaurants. and the experiences we shared together in Istanbul. It was really a treat to visit. I'm so grateful for the opportunity and having this time to spend with Matsut. So thank you so much. With that, I'm going to take you to our conversation in Istanbul, Turkey, and then I'll come back after and share my solo dining experience and wrap things up. So here you go. Please enjoy. Speaker 2 (4:07) Good morning, Maxi. How are you? Speaker 1 (4:09) Good morning, Sherry. I'm all fine. How about you? Speaker 2 (4:12) I'm great. I'm so excited to be here with you in Istanbul. I've been here now for a good part of the week and I've had such an amazing time. Thank you so much. I like to start out with my guests and find out about their backgrounds and what led you to become a chef. So you want to take us back a little bit? Speaker 3 (4:33) Sure. First of all, I'm happy to have you here. Speaker 3 (4:38) and help you catch up with what you have to offer in Turkey. So, well, I studied tourism and hotel management for nine years, both high school and university. I never thought I was going to become a chef one day. It's been 34 years in the industry now, for me. Since the last 20 years, I'm only cooking. Speaker 2 (5:04) And why? What led you to want to cook? What was the thing that inspired you most to get behind the line? Speaker 3 (5:14) Well, I'm from the very eastern Mediterranean part of Turkey. And it's a Levant geography. So we are born to the recipes. We are born to the tastes that our family has been cooking since generations. I was always into eating and cooking. Speaker 2 (5:35) So Speaker 3 (5:36) it was obvious that at one point I would do something with food. Speaker 3 (5:43) And actually, over the years of my profession, I also did catering consulting. I did many things regarding designing food, but I was not a chef. But one day I decided to bring back the house instead of staying in front. So that's how I became. And Speaker 2 (6:07) where was that? You were in Istanbul? Speaker 3 (6:09) Yes, here in Istanbul. I never worked under a chef or chefs at all. It was my very first restaurant that I wanted to prove myself if I can become a chef or not. Speaker 2 (6:21) Your very first restaurant, your own? Speaker 3 (6:24) Yes. Speaker 2 (6:25) Wow. And when was that? I mean, that's ambitious. It's worked out, though. Speaker 3 (6:30) It worked out. It was 2007. Speaker 2 (6:33) Oh, sorry. Speaker 3 (6:33) So it was a restaurant where you don't walk in front of it. So there was no name tag at the door. It was only open three nights a week with 30 seats. Speaker 3 (6:49) the best electronic DJs would spin after dinner, so great parties. So it was kind of unique on its own, but no name tagged at the door, so we would only accept people we know and no walk-ins, so it was kind of unique. Speaker 1 (7:08) And what was it called again? Speaker 3 (7:10) It was called Multimedia. Speaker 2 (7:13) What does that mean? No, I remember. Don't Speaker 3 (7:15) worry about it. No, Speaker 2 (7:16) but this is cool. Speaker 3 (7:17) Multi is like multi. Speaker 2 (7:19) Okay. Yeah. Speaker 3 (7:20) And Speaker 2 (7:21) how long did you have that? I Speaker 3 (7:23) had it two years. Then I happened to open up my second restaurant, which was, I closed one and opened the new one. It was 20 Speaker 2 (7:33) seats this time, but Speaker 3 (7:34) it was only tasting menu back in 2009. Speaker 2 (7:39) I'm kind of the curve a little bit with tasting menus. I mean, tasting menus were around, but not as common as they are today. Speaker 3 (7:45) No, they weren't. Actually, it was the very first tasting menu restaurant in town. Speaker 2 (7:50) Oh, wow. Yeah, because I think back to, I lived in Chicago before New York, and I worked at a restaurant called Charlie Trotter's, and I was a server there, and he had tasting menu, vegetable tasting menu. It was very hard to prepare. But yeah, that's, how was it received back then? I mean, was it hard to convince people to come in? Speaker 3 (8:11) Well, it was not easy to convince people. But somehow, if you are cooking well, people get to know and want to experience. I was lucky that there was this journalist who wrote on a column in an important Turkish newspaper, only writing about Michelin star restaurants globally. There was no Michelin stars back in Turkey. So he came and he said, if you think that I'm going to write about you, you're wrong, because I only write about Muslim-style restaurants. Then he dined and he decided that you are going to be the first restaurant that I'm going to write about in Turkey. So he wrote. Then the people started getting to know what I'm doing. Speaker 2 (8:56) And this around what year now? Speaker 3 (8:58) 2010. Speaker 2 (9:00) And so take us then through this 16 years. How did you progress with your restaurants? What led you to where you are today with multiple restaurants, but different concepts? Speaker 3 (9:14) Well, even if I was acknowledged by a columnist, I still could not find myself and who I am. Like, what should I cook and how I should execute them. But at one point, even if I did cook international cuisine, it would be only a good copy of others. But I wanted to copy my own. ancestors and traditions so I decided that I need to focus on my own cuisine. Then after I closed down that restaurant because I was going to open one more, a bigger space for 60 people, there I started focusing on traditional cuisine and actually it was where I put the motto of Neolocal Cuisine under our name. So there I started speaking and searching for recipes, ingredients, stories, and we started getting much more known by the Muslims. Speaker 2 (10:25) And how do you define your cuisine? It's here in Istanbul, and I know from being here a little about the community, about the local products you use. as you said, telling your story. So how do you do that with your cuisine? For someone who's not familiar with your restaurants, how do you define what you're doing today? Speaker 3 (10:51) Well, right after we started this Neolocal Cuisine motto, a few years later, we were invited to open up a restaurant in a museum. So there I already knew that the name of the restaurant would be Neolocal. Neolocal means New Takes on Local Cuisine. So simply, while all the audience will agree with me, the traditions are old and historical for many young generations. Somehow we need to find ways to update our traditions because this is our identity. So I just wanted to survive on my identity. And this geography is identity for future generations. So in order for them to be accepted in the future, you need to somehow update and modernize them without losing the essence. So that's what we are seeking for and what we are trying to do and share it with people so that they know. it can also be possible. Speaker 2 (11:49) Yeah, well, it was a beautiful tasting menu because I dined at Minal Local last night. And having been here with you a couple of days now and touring the city, which you, I know you have a background of touring a bit and you're an amazing tour guide. If the restaurant thing does not work out, you can go back to that now. Speaker 3 (12:09) I wouldn't do that for sure. I think I will always stick with what I'm doing, hospitality, welcoming people. Speaker 2 (12:16) Yeah, but being able to walk around the city with you, it was such a treat because if I was here on my own. I think I said to you, maybe I would have found one of the places we went to for lunch. But there are a lot of hidden gems and the relationships that you have with these very established restaurants and dessert shops and coffee shops. And it's very special. Can you talk a little bit about some of the places that we went and how they've inspired you and the menu that you are doing currently at? Well, Speaker 3 (12:54) first of all, they are my people. We are each other's people, let's say. The